Inventing
By: Gene Quinn, US Patent Attorney & Founder of IPWatchdog.com
So you have an idea and want to file a patent application? There are a number of things that you need to know about the invention and patent process that can help you focus your efforts and know what obstacles lay in front of you. This page and this website consist of free, detailed and trustworthy information to help inventors. Our goal is to educate you, make you a knowledgeable consumer and to save you from those unscrupulous invention submission companies who would tell you that you can patent an idea.
Below are inventor help links to patent and invention related information throughout our website. While I really belief that inventors should read all of the pages throughout IPWatchdog.com (after all, I wrote these articles), I have gone through IPWatchdog.com and created several “reading assignments,” which will hopefully be more manageable, and which will help get you started. I recommend you do them in this order (i.e., starting with Reading Assignment 1), but if you find something that you just need to know then by all means jump ahead.
Good luck and enjoy!
Reading Assignment 1
What every inventor needs to know
- Protecting Ideas
- About the Invention Process
- How to move from idea to patent?
- Keeping an Invention Notebook
- Invention Submission Companies
- Patent Searching 101
- Confidentiality Agreements
Reading Assignment 2
Basic Patent Law
- Basic US Patent Law
- Patentability Requirements
- Design Patents
- Provisional Patent Applications
- Non-provisional Patent Applications
- What is Prior Art?
- There is No Prior Art for my Invention
Reading Assignment 3
Patent Applications & Making Money
- About the Patent Process
- Cost of Obtaining a Patent
- Applying for a Patent
- Patent Drawings
- Learning from the Animal Toy Patent
- Invention Marketing
- Drafting Licensing Agreements
If you feel you need the assistance of a patent attorney I can help you. I am a member of Berenato, White & Stavish. I have been helping independent inventors and start-up companies since 1998. I have developed a unique process efficiently and effectively creates patent applications with the cooperation of the inventor. This process reduces costs and creates a better product because rather than doing all the drafting I work together with the inventor to create the patent application. This process uncovers many additional aspects of the invention that can be protected and results in a far more detailed patent application than is typical. For more information on the process contact me.
